TORQUE LIMITER HAVING A LOBED SHAPED MECHANISM

摘要

A torque limiting tool is described. The tool comprises a torque limiting mechanism comprising a sleeve connectable to a drive shaft and a torque drive coupler that resides within a housing. The sleeve comprises a sleeve annular sidewall having a plurality of outwardly projecting elongated first lobes and recessed first grooves that are circumferentially positioned along the length thereof. The drive coupler comprises a socket defined by a coupler annular sidewall having a plurality of outwardly projecting second elongated lobes and recessed second grooves positioned along the coupler interior sidewall. Torque is transferred therebetween when the ramped surfaces of the first and second lobes mate within respective second and first grooves of the coupler and sleeve. When a torque limit is exceeded, the first and second lobes of the sleeve and coupler disengage for their respective second and first grooves.

主权项

1. A torque limiting tool, comprising:
a) a housing having spaced proximal and distal housing portions that extend along a rotational axis; b) a torque limiting mechanism disposed within the housing, the torque limiting mechanism comprising:
i) a sleeve having a sleeve annular sidewall that defines a sleeve throughbore extending therethrough from a sleeve proximal end to a sleeve distal end along the rotational axis, at least one first lobe formed by the annular sidewall outwardly projecting from the annular sidewall away from the rotational axis and at least one first groove at least partially formed within the sleeve sidewall positioned adjacent to the first lobe, wherein both the first lobe and the first groove extend lengthwise along the sleeve sidewall;ii) a coupler having a coupler proximal portion that extends to a coupler distal portion, a socket dimensioned to receive the sleeve formed within the coupler distal portion by a coupler annular sidewall, the socket having a socket interior that extends longitudinally from a socket opening at the coupler distal end part way towards the proximal coupler end, wherein the at least two second lobes outwardly project from the coupler annular sidewall of the socket towards the socket interior and the at least one second groove is at least partially formed within the annular coupler sidewall positioned between the two second lobes; and c) wherein the sleeve is positioned within coupler socket so that the sleeve first lobe is received within the socket second groove and the socket second lobe is received within the first sleeve groove and wherein application of a torque at the proximal coupler portion causes the coupler socket to engage with the sleeve thereby causing the sleeve to rotate about the rotational axis.